Brianna Kupfer's last text: UCLA student noted 'creepy man' moments before murder
Nearly a week after her mysterious death, police have finally made some progress in the investigation over Brianna Kupfer's stabbing. The 24-year-old UCLA student was working at a furniture store in Los Angeles when she was killed by a man, who stabbed her and fled on January 13, 2022. Police have now revealed the grad student's final text, indicating she was aware of the man, who has also been identified.
Kupfer's father has blamed LA's politicians for the crime spike, noting, "we have a lot of criminals on the streets that shouldn't be out." He isn't the only one, a large number of residents have directed their anger towards LA's District Attorney George Gascon, one of the many "woke" DA's currently in the line of fire. In San Fransisco, Chesa Boudin is also facing widespread anger and even a recall campaign.
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Much of the fury is directed towards "woke" policies that downgrade felonies and attempt to cut pre-trial incarceration. it's unclear if any of the policies Gascon instituted played a role in Kupfer's death, with the identity of her attacker remaining a mystery till January 18. That said, it appears she did get a good look at him and even texted a friend. As fate would have it, that text was the last Kupfer ever sent.
What was Brianna Kupfer's last text?
During a news conference on January 18, the LAPD revealed Kupfer texted a friend about the man who attacked her, while he was standing outside the Croft House store. "She sent a text to a friend letting her know that there was someone inside the location that was giving her a bad vibe," Lt. John Radtke said, noting, "Regrettably, that person did not see the text immediately." It's unclear who the recipient of the text was.
The text was sent at 1:36 PM, minutes after which Kupfer was attacked. At 1:50 PM, a person walked into the store to find her "lying on the ground lifeless, covered in blood." Police believe the man targeted Kupfer because she was working alone at the store, but strangely nothing was stolen. He killed the 24-year-old and fled out the backdoor. Before the murder, the suspect walked into several other shops and even bought a vape at a 7-Eleven about 30 minutes prior, police revealed.
It is believed the man is homeless, and he was described as a thin Black man over 6 feet tall, last seen wearing a dark hoodie, sunglasses, a white N-95 mask, dark-colored skinny jeans, and dark-colored shoes. "Someone out there knows this man. Someone out there knows what he did. And, boy, there's a lot of money on the table. You need to come forward," Radtke added. The suspect has now been identified as Shawn Laval Smith, a 31-year-old on bond for another misdemeanor. With his location still unknown,
With the identity and location of the suspect still unknown, police have now offered a $250,000 reward for information, with around $200,000 coming from members of the community according to Fox News. Anyone with information is urged to call the LA West Bureau Homicide at 213-382-9470.